Ambient light spectrum affects larval Mexican jumping bean moth (Cydia saltitans) behavior despite light obstruction from host seed

Spectral differences in ambient light can affect animal behavior and convey crucial information about an individual’s environment. The ability to perceive and respond to differences in ambient light varies widely by taxa and is shaped by a species’ ecology. Mexican jumping bean moths, Cydia saltitans, spend their entire larval period encased in fallen host seeds and contend with potentially lethal environmental temperatures when host seeds are in direct sunlight. We investigate if and how C. saltitans larvae in host seeds respond to lighting conditions associated with these thermal risks. In a temperature-controlled experiment, we identified that larvae demonstrated distinct behavioral (“jumping”) responses corresponding to four lighting treatments (white, red, green, and purple), despite extremely minimal light penetration through host seed walls. Red light induced the greatest larval activity (measured by probability of movement and by displacement from origin), suggesting that larvae have mechanisms to perceive low levels of red light and/or to detect subtle increases in heat produced by red/near infrared-biased light spectra, possibly providing them with an early-warning mechanism against thermal stress. Our findings highlight the interplay of environmental lighting, behavior, and potential thermosensory adaptations in a species with a visually constrained environment.